With every New Year comes a flood of new top ten lists of the previous year. From the White House’s top ten photos to College Magazine’s top ten sexiest scandals, these lists are everywhere. Typically I glance through these lists and take what they say with a grain of salt, until yesterday when I stumbled upon Spicie.com’s top ten “Women That Made Us Cringe In 2012.” 

The guest contributor, Grace Alexander, rattles off ten women who she believes are anti-feminist and therefore must have stunted the great strides the female sex took in 2012.  

Among these women are several political leaders, political analysts Ann Coulter and Liz Trotta, Ann Romney, music performer Rihanna and novelists Stephanie Meyer and E.L. James. Instead of highlighting these women’s accomplishments, Alexander takes the pessimistic route of bashing these women for “contributing to the war on women.” I’m sorry Ms. Alexander, I wasn’t aware we were fighting. I would have brought flowers.

Alexander claims politicians like Ariz. Governor Jan Brewer, Miss. Tea Party leader Janis Lane, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and Minn. Rep. Michelle Bachman are setting women back by voicing their opinions and making decisions that she classifies as being “anti-woman.” Shouldn’t we (both sexes) applaud these women for being elected into a position of authority and making decisions based on what they and their constituents believe in? 

If they fuss at these conservative women, shouldn’t the fight be bipartisan? By Alexander’s standards, feminists should be criticizing Hillary Clinton’s track record of using the generational gender roles of the system to benefit her political career. Using the conventional role of the first lady, Clinton propelled herself into the political realm. Still today, she uses her gender to distinguish herself in politics and making her beliefs and opinions known. By Alexander’s standards doesn’t this set women back, because it’s promoting the idea of using one’s sex to further their careers?

Alexander then harps on Rihanna for “[going] back to the man who repeatedly tuned her up,” claiming she is sending the message “that domestic abuse is acceptable.” Is this not the epitome of blaming the victim? Blaming Rihanna for her choice to return to Chris Brown rather than acknowledging her as a victim of domestic violence insults other victims. 

To go further in waging war on the “anti-woman women,” Alexander ropes Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey authors Stephanie Meyer and E.L. James into the fight. Her reasoning is because these works of fiction perpetuate the idea that it is all right to have “boyfriends who stalk, control and hurt.” 

All of these women would be within their right to feel offended and betrayed by this member of their own gender. If there is a “war on women,” Alexander has definitely alienated some members of her army with this list.

To be brutally honest, making this list actually sets back the perception of women and fuels gender stereotypes. Nothing is pettier than making a list of the girls that piss you off. You might as well slap a pink cover on this blog and call it a burn book. 

Feminist-extremists use phrases like “the war on women” and “anti-woman women” to rally women behind their cause, when in reality it only strengthens the gender divide. This opinion piece does nothing except to give feminists something to chuckle about and feel superior toward women who are actually making strides in the fight for equality by reaching these positions of influence and standing up for their beliefs.